RIDES is a program developed by MDOT ten years ago to teach students in kindergarten through eighth grade math and science skills and introduce them to careers in the fields of engineering and transportation.

The goal of the RIDES Blitz is to show how the program is impacting children across the state.

"It's hands-on and it's fun to do and I like it a lot," said Thomas Bush, one of the gifted studies students.

"I like this activity because it's very hands-on and I'm a hands-on kind of person and it gives you experience with this kind of stuff and when we grow up, we might want to be in this kind of business," said Ashlee Watts, another student.

"The kids get to experiment, they get to change the variables and it's really just feeding into an engineering course," said Amy Rogers, a teacher at Purvis Upper Elementary School.

Currently, about 1,600 teachers throughout Mississippi are using the RIDES program in their schools.

A missing Lamar County woman has been found safe by authorities. Charlotte Arlene Cordova, 29, was found safe in Hattiesburg, according to Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel. She had been reported missing on Tuesday after not being seen since Aug. 13. “She was reported missing be her husband, and is not known to be in a vehicle,” Rigel said. Copyright WDAM 2017. All rights reserved. More >>

A missing Lamar County woman has been found safe by authorities. Charlotte Arlene Cordova, 29, was found safe in Hattiesburg, according to Lamar County Sheriff Danny Rigel. She had been reported missing on Tuesday after not being seen since Aug. 13. “She was reported missing be her husband, and is not known to be in a vehicle,” Rigel said. Copyright WDAM 2017. All rights reserved. More >>